A method is provided for controlling the function of a sensor for detecting particles, in particular soot particles, the sensor including at least two measuring electrodes and a substrate on which the measuring electrodes are situated. The method includes the following: carrying out a first current-voltage measurement for ascertaining a first measured variable; carrying out a second current-voltage measurement for ascertaining a second measured variable, one measuring electrode of the measuring electrodes being applied to another electrical potential; carrying out a third current-voltage measurement for ascertaining a third measured variable; an configured forming a correction value for correcting the second measured variable with the aid of the first measured variable and the third measured variable.

A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a plurality of vias, a signal transmitting portion, a heater and a sensing material. The plurality of vias penetrates the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of vias includes a conductive or semiconductive portion surrounded by an oxide layer. The signal transmitting portion is disposed in the substrate, wherein adjacent vias of the plurality of vias surrounds the signal transmitting portion. The heater is electrically connected to the signal transmitting portion, and the sensing material is disposed over the heater and electrically connected to the substrate. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure is also provided.

A gas analyzer including: a chamber; a first gas sensor provided in the chamber and including a first gas sensitive member; a second gas sensor provided in the chamber and including a second gas sensitive member; and a detector that detects each of resistance changes of the first and the second gas sensitive members; wherein the first gas sensitive member is an oxide semiconductor mainly composed of at least one of Sn, W, Zn and In or a semiconductor mainly composed of C, and the second gas sensitive member is mainly composed of a halide or an oxide of Cu or Ag.

A gas sensing device that includes humidity compensation.

A sensor is driven at a first heating power value. The sensor generates a sensing signal that is indicative of a sensed entity. A possible onset of a sensor contamination condition is detected as a function of the sensing signal generated by the sensor. If such detecting fails to indicate onset of a sensor contamination condition, the sensor continues to be driven at the first heating power value. However, if such detecting indicates onset of a sensor contamination condition, a protection mode is activated. In the protection mode, the sensor is driven at a second heating power value for a protection interval, where the second heating power value is lower than the first heating power value. Furthermore, the operation may refrain from supplying power to the sensor for a further protection interval, wherein the further protection interval is longer than the protection interval.

A gas sensing device includes one or more chemo-resistive gas sensors; one or more heating elements for heating each of the gas sensors; a preprocessing block for filtering signal samples in order to generate filtered signal samples for each of the gas sensors; an information extraction block for generating representations for the filtered signal samples for each of the gas sensors based on dynamic characteristics of the received filtered signal samples of the respective gas sensor; and a decision making block for receiving the representations, wherein the decision making block includes a trained model based algorithm stage having an input layer and an output layer, wherein the decision making block includes trained models, wherein the decision making block creates sensing results based on output values of the output layer of the algorithm stage, and wherein the output values are created by using the trained models.

A semiconductor gas sensor includes a substrate having a cavity, a first insulation layer formed on the substrate, including an exposure hole formed at a position corresponding to the cavity and a peripheral portion of the cavity, a second insulation layer formed on the first insulation layer, covering the exposure hole, a heating electrode formed on the second insulation layer, being formed at a position corresponding to the cavity, a sensing electrode formed over the heating electrode, being electrically insulated from the heating electrode, a detection layer covering the sensing electrode, being capable of having a variable resistance when acting with a predetermined kind of gas, and a vent hole formed by penetrating the second insulation layer to communicate with the exposure hole, and the vent hole being capable of dissipating heat from the heating electrode in a upward direction with respect to the substrate. Thus, the exposed hole and the cavity may relieve sage of a membrane toward the cavity and may dissipate heat from the heating electrode swiftly and efficiently.

A fluid state detection apparatus which can detect a short failure in which a constituent Wheatstone bridge circuit is shorted to a power supply. A combustible gas detection apparatus (1) judges that a short failure has occurred in a constant temperature control circuit (231) (S240) when a top potential V21 is equal to or greater than a first judgment value Vth1 and a difference D1 (=V11−V31) is equal to or greater than a second judgment value Vth2. As a result, apparatus (1) can distinguish “a state in which a bridge circuit (210) is shorted to a DC power supply (40) (where the constant temperature control circuit 231 is in a short failure state)” from “a state in which the resistance of the heat generation resistor (15) deceases due to a combustible gas (hydrogen)” based on the top potential V21 and the difference D1.

A gas sensing device comprises a sensing unit for sensing a target gas, the sensing unit comprising a carbon-based sensing layer which is sensitive to the target gas. The gas sensing device further comprises a controller unit for monitoring an exposure of the sensing layer to the target gas. The controller unit further initializes a recovery sequence for the sensing unit depending on an exposure of the sensing unit to the target gas. Further, the gas sensing device comprises a heating electrode for heating the sensing layer during the recovery sequence.

In an embodiment an electro-thermal device includes a heater, a readout circuit, a digital controller having a first input coupled to a first output of the readout circuit and a digital sigma-delta modulator having a first input coupled to an output of the digital controller and an output coupled to the heater.